A WEB page enabling workers to gain rapid access to essential information about their health and safety rights and responsibilities has been set up by the Health and Safety Executive.

The "workers’ webpage" http://www.hse.gov.uk/ workers
- covers the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees, as well as issues such as ‘whistle-blowing’ and reporting accidents.

To show that it is one with the local maritime industry in celebration of the National Maritime Week, the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) gamely took part in the Fun Run sponsored by the Filipino Association for Mariners’ Employment (FAME) on September 17, 2006 as a kick-off activity of the week-long occasion.

Aptly entitled “Go, Marino Go! Healthy Body, Healthy Mind,” the FAME Fun Run drew a significant number of participants from the manning agencies and also from other sectors outside the maritime industry including universities and schools, other companies and organizations, the Philippine Army and a lot from numerous active runners clubs.
 

Engr. Nelson Ramirez and wife Marilyn being flanked by UFS staff and volunteers at the close of the FAME Fun Run.

For its part, the UFS fielded 15 of its volunteers to the Fun Run, which began as early as five in the morning at the Rajah Sulayman Park along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

The Fun Run had three categories – 3K, 5K, and 10K. Each were further divided into male and female categories – bringing the total categories to six.
 

The UFS running contingent

At the end of the race and during the awarding rites following the culmination of the Fun Run, it appeared that the participants from the maritime industry were better off sailing than running as the winners’ circles in the 3K and 5K categories were completely dominated by participants from various sectors with the exception of Honey Mendoza of Philippine Transmarine Carriers, who place 10th in the 3K female category.

Still, the maritime industry got its bearing back in the sports particularly in the 10K categories as Seapower’s Desamito Bernardo finished second place in the male category while his colleague Claridad Allen Dechoso, also from Seapower, came in sixth at the women category.
 

The UFS trike team, just like in previous years, paced this year’s motorcade.

Although none of its runners made the top 10 in any of the six categories, Magsaysay Maritime Corporation also went home with a trophy for fielding the biggest delegation by a manning company.

Maritime Week Motorcade

The day before, September 16, 2006, UFS took part in the National Maritime Week motorcade-parade spearheaded by the Masters and Mates Association of the Philippines (MMAP) at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta.
Just like in the previous years, the UFS paced the motorcade-parade with its trike contingent, joining other sectors in the maritime industry in ushering the start of the celebration of the National Maritime Week.

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